Cristmas '07

  Laredo, Texas
Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Hello to Everyone, Thought I'd better update the blog before the memories get too fuzzy as every day brings another adventure, with new places to explore and new people to meet. We spent a couple of days in Marathon with the whole rv park at a removated historical motel to ourselves. They had what I'd call a garden lounge, an adobe walled courtyard garden with a fountain and patio area complete with rustic rocking chairs and a nice fireplace.
This town was pretty peacefull until the trains pulled through at all hours of the night and day, hooting their loud horns at the level crossings.
Next stop was Amistead lake near Del Rio Where we stayed a night for $4 on the lake, the wind was blowing so we moved on again the next day, heading South East along the border.
We hit Laredo on the 23rd and inched  our way through the last minute Christmas rush, provisioned up and headed to the Casa Blanca State Park. Very close to to the City, the park had a lot of full time residents taking up all the prime spots. We put the boat in the water and tested out the motor, she ran like a dream.

We talked about leaving Christmas eve because the site we had was pretty crappy and not level, but while James and I were out fishing in the boat mum called on the 2-way. Hurry back guys, one of the best waterfront sites has just been vacated. We had to stake our claim before someone else.
We cruised back to the site's private beach and started to relocate all our chairs and bikes while Bev pedaled furiously back to the main gate to re-book the new site. After  convincing the rangers the woman who had left wasn't coming back they eventually gave us the site. This was us for Christmas now.

James was enjoying himself as the fish were biting and caught a big catfish and 2 huge carp.
Christmas Day was not the affair we have been accustomed to in the past. The kids had a couple of small presents each and $20 each from their Grandpa and Granny Carol. With Dads blessing they all decided they would pool their money and offer a local lady $60 for the cute unfortunate chihuahua "Larry" who we were told had to go with a $150 price tag.

This lady lived in a broken down van with tarps strung all around and 3 dogs. She had no money and was close to being evicted. Larry was 4th in the pecking order and not being loved as he should have. We made the plan together and it worked like a dream. Boxing day we were packing up to leave and 15 minutes before driving out, so as not to give this woman too much time to think about trying to up the ante, the kids made the offer. She jumped at it and after packing a food hamper for her and paying the $60, we drove out of there as a party of 6 with Larry "Nacho" McGregor. At our first stop the laundromat, Bev took him outside for a wee and after a game of cat and mouse around the cars in the car park and a quick dash across the road with Bev in hot pursuit, stopping the traffic in its tracks, we headed to the shop to buy a lead for the lad.
Larry has settled in nicely now with the kids vying for his attention constantly. He howled for the first couple of days, only when he wasn't out walking and meeting other dogs or getting attention from us.
Off we go, headed for McAllen where we plan to cross the border to Mexico.
Till next time,
Adios.
The McGregors 6.